On Progressive U, we encourage you to express yourself. We want to hear all the opinions you have, so long as you don’t attack others for their opinions. Many others have not been so lucky. Throughout history, a number of authors and books have been banned from being read by various governments and communities for one reason or another.
While Banned Books Week is not until September, we wanted to have a special contest in remembrance of all those books that have been challenged or banned over the years. Plus, we have a special treat for this contest.
Hopefully by now, you all know about our column, Between the Lines. It is designed to review television shows, books, movies, political actions… anything that might be considered progressive. While we have asked many people to submit content to the column, few have taken us up on the offer. We want this column to cater to you all, and so in that vein, we launch this contest.
Below is a list of commonly challenged and banned books in about the past 100 years around the world. Pick one at a time, read it, and submit a review to us (please read the rules below before you submit). The incentive? We will give you 100 points right off for submitting a review. If your review is chosen to be published in the column, we will give you another 150 points. You may do this for up to 4 books (totaling up to 1000 points).
In addition, if your review is chosen to be published, your name will be entered into a drawing for one of 5 copies of Stephanie Meyer’s new book, The Host. More information about the book is included at the end of this post.
Now, the rules.
- Your review must be at least 250 words.
- Your review must contain the following parts: Synopsis of novel; why people should OR should not read it; and a rating (one through five, with five being the best).
- Your review must be submitted through e-mail to betweenthelines[at]progressiveu.org. NOTE: If your review is posted as a blog on the site, you will not be eligible for any points from this challenge, nor will you be eligible for the drawing for a book.
- You must submit your review by midnight PDT on May 31, 2008. Any submissions after this date will not be eligible for bonus points.
- You must include your username in your e-mail. We cannot give you points if you don’t include your username.
- You may only submit four reviews total. We will give points at the end of the bonus point contest period.
- Only reviews written with proper spelling/grammar will be considered for publication. If you wouldn’t turn it in for a grade, don’t turn it in to us.
Please note that if you do not follow these rules, you will not get any points. Period.
List of books to choose from:
1. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
3. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
6. Forever by Judy Blume
7. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
8. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
9. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
10. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
11. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
12. The Giver by Lois Lowry
13. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
14. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
15. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
16. Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
17. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
18. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
19. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
20. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
21. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
22. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
23. The Witches by Roald Dahl
24. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
25. The Goats by Brock Cole
26. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
27. Blubber by Judy Blume
28. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
29. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
30. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
31. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
32. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
33. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
34. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
35. Beloved by Toni Morrison
36. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
37. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
38. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
39. Deenie by Judy Blume
40. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
41. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
42. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
43. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
44. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
45. Cujo by Stephen King
46. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
47. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
48. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
49. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
50. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
51. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
52. Fade by Robert Cormier
53. Guess What? by Mem Fox
54. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
55. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
56. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
57. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
58. Native Son by Richard Wright
59. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
60. Jack by A.M. Homes
61. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
62. Carrie by Stephen King
63. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
64. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
65. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
66. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
67. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
68. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
69. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
70. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
71. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
72. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
73. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
74. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
75. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
76. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
77. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
78. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
79. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
80. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
81. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
82. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
83. Animal Farm by George Orwell
84. 1984 by George Orwell
85. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
86. Apocalypse Culture (and sequel), edited by Adam Parfrey
87. The Cider House Rules by John Irving
88. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
89. Collapse by Jared M. Diamond
90. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
91. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
92. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
93. The King Never Smiles by Paul M. Handley
94. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
95. The Diary of Anne Frank
96. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
97. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
98. Ulysses by James Joyce
99. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
100. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
Of course, there are plenty more out there, so if there is one not on the list that you would like to review, send us an e-mail at betweenthelines[at]progressiveu.org for approval first. Be sure to include the title of the book, the author, and where it was challenged/banned.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM mvenus929. She will get back with you as soon as possible.
The Host takes place after a bodysnatchers-style invasion of the earth. We (the humans) lost. Our narrator is Wanderer, one of the invading "souls," who struggles to navigate all the bewildering challenges that come with living inside a human body. She was forewarned about these challenges—the overwhelming emotions, the stunning physical responses, the glut of senses, the too vivid dreams and memories... However, there was one challenge Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body, human survivor Melanie Stryder, refuses to fade away into oblivion the way she should. Melanie lingers as an angry presence in Wanderer's head, holding on to her human secrets and filling Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, another human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for the man she's never met. Outside forces combine to make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, and, working together, they set off to search for the man they both love. It's possibly the first love triangle that only involves two bodies.
It's so beautiful to see The Lorax on the list.
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
I agree!
Wow... The Lorax was one of my favorite books as a kid...
The Chris Crutcher books are awesome, too.
I agree when you say it was a good book, but I don't see why you say it was good that it was banned. I enjoyed it, and it was a slightly different style for Dr. Seuess, although it is not the only book he writes on social issues or in an allegorical form.
Green Underbelly is an environmentalist, so I'm guessing he likes The Lorax and is not REALLY happy about it being banned. The battle between the book and the logging industry is interesting. They wrote a really crappy response to the The Lorax called The Truax. It's laughably propagandistic.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
What I don't understand is why anyone banned Bridge to Terabithia or My Brother Sam is Dead... I always disagree with cencorship, but the other's on the list that I read, I can at least see some sort of motivation...
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
The list is mostly the most challenged books since 1990. They've not necessarily been banned, but I couldn't find a nice long list of banned books. Bridge to Terabithia was probably one of those challenged in elementary schools, possibly because of the ending or... something stupid like 'too much fantasy' or 'encourages children to have too much imagination'.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
Ah. So silly.
I still don't get "My Brother Sam is Dead " though. Perhaps because of the fact that it's such a bad book....
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
The Bridge to Terabithia has a nonreligious character, which apparently breeds atheism and freethinking. Oh, please, right?
~Violinstef
Oh yeah... I forgot about that.
EVIL!!!!
lol
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
The Giver and Fallen Angels are two of my favorite books. I'm definitely in for this contest. :-)
There are some amazing books on this list, many of which I read in junior high and high school. This is a really great idea for a contest. :-)
I'm almost disappointed not to see The Big Friendly Giant (The B.F.G.) on this list. Oh well.
Good luck to everyone!
read my blogs!
ProU
Not ProU
Some mistakes can't be undone/ it'll never be like it was/ and wishing for it only makes it worse
Rocky Votolato
there are way more rediculous books on the "most banned" list. I dont remember them now, but I remember laughing quite hard while looking at them. and then some that you would expect are lower than plain old children books, such as james and the giant peach. the reason behind some of these have me totally lost.
I know there's more, especially since I erased like 15 from the initial list I got (mostly because they were 'how-to' books about sex and sexuality that I didn't think would be really interesting reads... I hope everyone on this site knows about the birds and the bees). But, the post is already 4 pages long on MS word, and I really didn't want to make it longer. That's why there's an option to do a book not on the list, as long as you approve it first.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
What I find amusing is that several of these books are mentioned in a book called "Books of the century," which is about books believed to be the most influential that were published between 1895 and 1995. Goes to show what banishing books does, or perhaps what books get banned.
it shows that if something has too much affect on the population... someone in power gets a little too insulted and cries because of a bruised ego and out goes the cries to banish. That may sound a little simplified but boiled down, I think I neailed it pretty gosh darn close to the truth.....
I've read about half of these books already! I might even have some papers that I saved.....cool!
So many of them were on school reading lists for years. Some of these books were why I fell in love with reading to begin with. I'm now hearing that some teachers won't even teach certain works by Shakespeare... it's getting rediculous.
According to one site I found on banned books, Black Beauty was banned in South Africa because it had the word "black" in the title, even though "Black Beauty" is describing a horse.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
This is really a great idea. Most of these books that I have read I have also seen the movie too. I don't think they are that challenged. But I will take the challenge.
I remember looking at banned books list once and seeing The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde on the list. The fact that Wilde was censored didn't surprise me (people who censor books are probably not ones who can appreciate genuine wit)--but The Happy Prince? Banned from an elementary school because it was too "depressing." For the record, I read the book and discovered it to be about standard on emotions. The whole incident caused me to believe that parents who protect kids from themselves and the world are ultimately setting their children up for disaster.
Remarkably absent from the list: Catch-22, and even the anti-censorship manifesto, Fahrenheit 451. I couldn't resist emailing ProU about it, haha.
Cheers from Union Jane
"I have only ever made one prayer a very short one: "God, make my enemies ridiculous." And God made it so." --Voltaire
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." --Eleanor Roosevelt
F451 actually is on the banned/challeneged books list, it just didn't happen to make it one this one at ProU.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
If you read the amazon.com reviews of these books and click on the 1 star reviews, you get a sense of why books get "banned" or at least disputed. The majority of the objections to the books are that they don't present "good role models" for kids, entirely missing the fact that that is the tension in the book--the bad role models always have an awakening or get a comeuppance, or if they don't, the book gives some insight into why the bad role model is they way he/she is. But people completely miss that. Any appearance of swearing, regardless of the context or the characterization it creates, is grounds for banning. Any incidence of adultery, premarital sex, or homosexual affection of any kind (in fact even the HINT of someone having a fondness for the same sex) draws accusations of smut. It seems to me, after reading the calls for banning in these reviews, that people who have fits over children's books lack critical thinking skills, and they underestimate the ability of their children to think critically. But, you know...genetics...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Here's a couple more lists, both of which include more insight on why they were challenged or banned.
Wikipedia list, mostly has the ones listed in this blog, but provides some explanations (however absurd) for the challenge.
The Forbidden Library, which also includes books from before 1990 (going back to around 200 C.E. that I've seen). Entries include ironic ones such as Fahrenheit 451 and Tyndale's translation of the Bible. This one cites when and where the books were banned or challenged more than giving reasons why (I especially like the line for The Call of the Wild - "Who knew Nazis didn't like sled dogs?").
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Ha! I looked at the forbidden library cite you gave...
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Ace; Bantam; Crown; Delacorte; Dover; NAL; Norton; Penguin; Random; St. Martin. Banned in China (1931) for portraying animals and humans on the same level, "Animals should not use human language.""
Really? I can think of plenty of better reasons to ban that book. :))
I always loved it... :(
----
You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
Ha! I looked at the forbidden library cite you gave...
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Ace; Bantam; Crown; Delacorte; Dover; NAL; Norton; Penguin; Random; St. Martin. Banned in China (1931) for portraying animals and humans on the same level, "Animals should not use human language.""
Really? I can think of plenty of better reasons to ban that book. :))
I always loved it... :(
----
You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
LOL Alice in wonderland was on there? Wow.
"Animals should not use human language." <----- That's kinda sad.
is it like a national list? state list? or some zealot in some unknown town got a hair across their ass about it and now everyone thinks these books are being censored from Americas children? seriously, i havent been out of high school that long but a majority of those books were readily available in library's and English classes. shit i read Grendel in high school for Christ sake. then again i had to pretty much force my english teacher to have us read hamlet.
anyway i digest.... so where are these books being banned from exactly is my question.
When you take that bus, you get there.
http://www.myspace.com/ohamleto
Most come from the most challenged list from the American Library Association. They haven't necessarily been banned, and certainly not on a large scale. Harry Potter, for example, was banned temporarily lots of places, until people started protesting it's banning, and it's unlikely it stays banned long.
The ones at the bottom are on wikipedia's most controversial list, and I remember seeing them on banned books lists in the past, so I added them on as well.
~C
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Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
The American Library Association is the main source for what's been banned where and why. I also found The Forbidden Library to be a good, quick reference for when and where the books were challenged/banned.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
It's amazing that half of these books were even banned. I mean, what's so bad about Cujo? It's a Stephen King novel, so it's supposed to be scary, right? And some of the children's books on this list shouldn't have been banned either. Some adults are screwy if you ask me.
This is a great contest. Kudos to whoever thought of it.
~ *~
This is a signature, an automated thingy that pops up when I comment, not a demand to see my blog!
Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
Go Ask Alice is the best on the list!!!!!!!!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<333333333333333333 Hanna
The Giver is one of my all time favorites! I'm definitely going to have to read it again and write a review! I remember the first time I read it was in the fourth grade, and a lot of the kids didn't understand what was going on. I think everyone should read this book at least once!
Times flies like the wind; fruit flies like a banana.
I can almost understand the issue with Huck Finn, but when I was in school, race was talked about before we read it.
We also read The Pigman and the Diary of Anne Frank in junior high. I can't figure out what the issues were with those. Of course, junior high was a long time ago...
I do remember that "quiz" in The Pigman that supposedly told you your real honest priorities based on your reaction to some story... I wish I still had all of my books.
In history class a few semesters ago, we read The Grapes of Wrath and 1984. Good stuff. I used to actually read on my own when I was younger. I have no time now. :(
-Sonja :)
"Democracy works only when you vote. When you don't take the time to vote for the candidate you find the least offensive, you run the risk of electing the candidate you find the most offensive."
I loved that book. A bunch of parents on Amazon said that it has no place in a post-Columbine world, because the kids blow up the toilets. Whateva.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I did forget about that part, but it doesn't change anything. I seriously doubt the reading of the book inspired any shoot 'em ups in high schools.
Besides, do the kids not know the difference between fiction and nonfiction?
-Sonja :)
"Democracy works only when you vote. When you don't take the time to vote for the candidate you find the least offensive, you run the risk of electing the candidate you find the most offensive."
i can definitely understand why Animal Farm is on there. I actually hated that book because I didn't like that kind of satire. I had to read that book over the summer for my high school sophomore year. i remember reading Mice and Men in my freshman year, Lord of the Flies (another one i didn't like) my senior year. on the other hand, i heard that the kids in GT classes in my middle school were reading Lord of the Flies. that was crazy.
but Anastasia Krupnik? i loved that book when i was a kid! why is it on this list anyways? in fact, i still have that book. all about changes in the family and life. it's great. then again, i could do an easy review of it, even though it's a elementary/middle school book, really.
oh, but i love that Wrinkle in Time is on there. that's cool. my dad said i should read it sometime when i was little, but the school wouldn't let me. they said it was too 'challenging' for me, as if they were calling me stupid. but the advanced kids got to read it. another book that should be on this list. "Mrs. Brisby and the Rats of NIMH". that's a controversial book. the kids in my fifth grade class were reading it, but i wasn't allowed to. not fair! my dad was upset because he read that book at that age and he really wanted me to read it. it's about a group of rats that broke out of a lab and they were extremely smart. when Mrs. Brisby's son Timothy (Brisby and her kids are field mice) gets sick with pneumonia, and the farmer (human) is about to expand his land that will destroy her home with her children inside, she has to make a journey to find these highly intelligent rats so they can move the house to a safer place.
Some of these books I read in High School, or at least the 2 years I did attend High School (1996 Graduate) and never thought there was anything wrong with those I did read. I just want to know why since my time in High School has there been a major influx of those who think there is something wrong with classic american literature? I honestly think that these individuals who want to ban these books are either uptight and live in a fantasy world, who are trying to make the world look like something its not by censoring books like these so thier children do not see what the world is really about. Or it could be the fact that since my time, children have gotten lazier when it comes to education and are complaining about how hard it is to understand the language used in this literature. If you think ists hard to inderstand these books, try readin "Steven Kings, Delores Claiborne". The tell me about difficulty.
It's not that books have been banned more in the last ten years, it's just that that's what the sites keep track of. The Forbidden Library website shows a more complete list that goes back to about 200 C.E.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
The list goes from 1990 to 2000 mostly, so it was more in the time you were in high school than, say, the time I was (since my freshman year was the 2001-2002 school year). Also, these were simply challenged books. It may have been that they were in a middle school library, and the parents didn't think them appropriate for middle school students.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
Since I've only gotten a handful of reviews, I'm curious how many of you are even interested in doing this bonus point opp?
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
And anyone competing for the scholarship is a student. I'm gonna go ahead and speak for everyone when I say that finals win out over bonus points. I can work on bonus points when the semester ends.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Some people are not yet students, and some don't have finals, or finals they have to worry about. Which is why I was gaging interest... I know it takes time to do this bonus point opp, but with so few entries compared to other contests, I wanted to make sure people were actually going to do it if given the entire time.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
Don't shut it down! I have one more paper to write before I can tackle the reviews. The bonus points require a trip to the library, rereading the books, and writing at least 1000 words. It can't happen until my actual requirements are met, because guess which project I would find more appealing? Evaluating the environment of a middle school classroom or reviewing my favorite books from my youth? Hmmm....
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Well, if you follow through, and the other person who wrote me follows through, I'll have at least 7 more reviews to go through, so that makes me happy.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
I agree with Ediblewoman.
However, not actually being a student until September, I feel that I don't really have an excuse not to be working on this, busy as I pretend I am. I'm working on my review for The Giver right now. :-)
read my blogs!
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Some mistakes can't be undone/ it'll never be like it was/ and wishing for it only makes it worse
Rocky Votolato
oooh yay! 36. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton I loved that book!
Arg!
I went to the library to, a Wednesday afternoon, to grab five of these books so I can read the ones I have never read before and write fresh reviews, instead of trying to remember what I read years ago. Lo and behold, the library was closed due to some sort of librarian training thing. So I began an on-line search for e-books. The only one I've been able to find so far is Forever, by Judy Bume. I hope this helps - here's the link to download the book:
http://www.mediafire.com/?1tlwn4m1z1m
Does your library have an electronic branch? Ours does... we can check out audio books and e-books for like 3 weeks, and there's a pretty decent variety on there.
~C
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That's so cool! Our library doesn't have any books on-line, only magazine articles. I wonder if there is an e-book library I can join?
A lot or most of these books were on my reading list at school. I didn't know they were banned.
I cannot recieve points for them because they are already blogs, but if anyone is interested I have written about:
"Annie on My Mind"-- http://www.progressiveu.org/021445-annie-on-my-mind-the-freedom-to-explo...
and
"Heather has Two Mommies"-- http://www.progressiveu.org/162742-heather-has-two-mommies
Banned Books are always the best books :-)
"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
-- James Madison
Ceila -- http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ceila30
I've always been told our school's reading style is different and now I know why. After reading this list I realized that almost every book I read in high school was on this list!
Probably half the books on the list weren't even published until after I graduated!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Some of those books I have read and they are really good books!
Remember that you only have a day and a few hours remaining for this challenge. Get those submissions in to betweenthelines[at]progressiveu.org.
If you would like confirmation that your review has been received, feel free to PM me and I'll let you know.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!